Small Business Institute®
A program connecting local small businesses to the resources and management expertise of UCF’s College of Business Administration and the FSBDC at UCF.
SBI® provides confidential and professional management assistance to small businesses through consulting projects performed by MBA students.
SBI Program Qualifications
The FSBDC at UCF is now accepting applications. Small businesses interested in the SBI® program must meet the following criteria:
- $500K+ annual revenue
- 2 years operating experience
- Client company must be willing to meet with student team at least 6 times during the semester
Scope of Project Offerings
- Customer Management
- Customer Satisfaction Surveys
- Target Market Identification
- Customer Journey Mapping
- Customer Retention Strategies
- Feasibility Analysis
- New Product/Service Feasibility
- Market Entry Feasibility
- Target Market Identification
- Financial Management
- Financial Analysis
- Pricing Strategy Review
- Cost Reduction Strategies
- Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Strategy
- Social Media Strategy
- Local SEO Optimization (Google Maps, Yelp, etc.)
- E-Commerce Optimization
- Marketing Insights & Strategic Action Plan
- Market Insights
- Strategic Application
- Implementation Roadmap
- Expansion Strategies
- Market Potential Analysis
- Market Diversification Strategies
- New Customer Acquisition Strategies
- Human Resources & Organizational Development
- Employee Engagement & Retention Strategies
- Workforce Planning & Talent Strategy
- Performance Management & KPI Systems
Limited space is available – first-come, first-served.
SBI Application Fee
A nonrefundable administrative fee of $500 is due upon acceptance to the program.
Scholarships are available to businesses located in Orange County, FL.
Program Guidelines
In order for SBI® clients to get the most from the program, they need to follow the following program guidelines:
- Being available to the student SBI team at the times the client company and student team mutually agreed upon. Depending on student work schedules it may be necessary to schedule meetings after hours or on the weekend.
- It is required that the student team meets with the client company at least 6 times during the semester.
- Maintain weekly communication, if needed, with the student SBI team.
- Making available to the student SBI team those records, files, and financial statements that the team and the client company agree are necessary to complete their project.
- Using the student SBI team in their proper capacity as “consultants” and not expecting the students to serve as interns or temporary help to do work that would normally be performed by regular employees.
- Signing a “Client Acknowledgment” of the final report at the completion of the project.
- Expecting some follow-up research and surveys to determine the quality and effectiveness of the SBI program.
- Please read the SBI Client Handbook
For more information please contact:
Jessica Ali
Jessica.Ali@ucf.edu
407.420.4868
Funded in part by Orange County Government
Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2025